Dips (parallel bars)
Dips almost certainly train the chest and triceps hard, but no training trial has measured what they build, so the evidence is limited to muscle-activation and movement studies. They also rank among the exercises most often linked to pain in gym surveys. If your shoulders tolerate them, they are a reasonable bodyweight press; if not, the bench press and push-ups have better evidence.
What the science says
- High chest and triceps activation Moderate evidence
McKenzie et al. (2022) compared bench, bar and ring dips in 13 experienced men: bar and ring dips produced higher peak triceps activity than bench dips (about 1.04 vs 0.83 mV), and bench dips required more shoulder extension. The authors see the bar dip as a progression from the bench dip. Activation is not growth.
- Technique holds up under fatigue Limited evidence
In a second study by McKenzie et al. (2022), 15 healthy men did one set of bar dips to exhaustion: peak joint angles did not change, while chest and triceps activation rose toward the end of the set. It is one small lab study.
- Often linked to pain in recreational lifters Limited evidence
Bernstorff et al.'s 2023 survey of 1,387 recreational gym-goers listed triceps dips among the exercises most commonly associated with pain, alongside the back squat, deadlift and bench press; the shoulder was the most frequently painful region. A survey cannot separate the exercise from how people program it.
- No trials of muscle or strength gains Limited evidence
We found no randomized trial that measured muscle size or strength after dip training. The grade reflects that gap, not evidence that dips fail.
How to do it
Muscles trained: pectoralis major, triceps brachii, anterior deltoid
- Start with arms locked and shoulders pressed down, away from the ears
- Lower under control until the upper arms are about parallel to the floor
- Keep the elbows pointing back rather than flaring out
- Do not drop into the bottom or bounce out of it
- Press back up to straight arms without swinging the legs
How to apply it
If you use them, treat dips as a bodyweight press: a depth you control without shoulder pain, progressing to added weight.
Who should be careful
Deep dips put the shoulder in strong extension under body weight, which is why they are often linked to shoulder pain. Skip them, or keep the range short, if the front of the shoulder hurts, and see a physician or physical therapist about pain that persists.
Frequently asked questions
Do dips build the chest and triceps?
They activate both strongly, according to McKenzie et al., but no trial has measured muscle or strength gains from dip training. That is why the grade is limited.
Are dips bad for the shoulders?
Not for everyone, but a survey of 1,387 gym-goers listed triceps dips among the exercises most often linked to pain, with the shoulder the most common site. Use a depth you control and skip them if they hurt.
What should I do instead if dips hurt?
Push-ups and the bench press train the same muscles and have training trials behind them; the dumbbell bench press also lets the shoulders move more freely.
Scientific references
- Bench, Bar, and Ring Dips: Do Kinematics and Muscle Activity Differ?
- Fatigue Increases Muscle Activations but Does Not Change Maximal Joint Angles during the Bar Dip
- Popular Gym Fitness Sport: An Analysis of 1387 Recreational Athletes Regarding Prone to Pain Exercises and the Corresponding Localisations
More exercises
- Back squat Strong evidence
The barbell back squat reliably builds the quadriceps, glutes and adductors and is one of the best-studied lower-body exercises in training research.
- Front squat Moderate evidence
The front squat holds the bar on the front of the shoulders, which keeps the torso more upright and loads the knees less than the back squat while recruiting the thigh muscles about as much.
- Bulgarian split squat Moderate evidence
The Bulgarian (rear-foot-elevated) split squat trains one leg at a time and builds the quads and glutes with far less load on the bar than a back squat.
- Leg press Strong evidence
The leg press builds the quadriceps about as well as free-weight squats and also grows the glutes and adductor magnus, with no balance or spinal-loading limit.
- Hack squat (machine) Moderate evidence
The machine hack squat lets you squat deep on a fixed track with your back supported, which makes it easy to push the quads close to failure.
- Romanian deadlift Moderate evidence
The Romanian deadlift is a hip hinge that loads the hamstrings and glutes at long muscle lengths, and trials of stiff-leg deadlifts and similar hip-extension exercises show real hamstring growth, mainly in the semimembranosus and biceps femoris long head.